Some things change and some stay, the same goes the old age expression and Jade on 36 Shangri-La Pudong Shanghai is a stayer. mylifestylenews writes.
Jade on 36 was born when the Shangri-La Pudong debuted its second tower late in 2005 and was once the talk-of-the-town fine dining venue to impress. It continues its operation to this very day, although the competition is pretty stiff for such elevated cuisine in Shanghai. The lift lobby entrance separates Jade on 36 Bar from the restaurant and is quite striking with the arrival experience from its restaurant foyer. You can’t miss and are met with a modern black lattice structure which symbolizes the rice bowl, so a reference to abundance which is the passage way to enter into the restaurant.
Once you turn the corner, you pass by the wine cellar wall with a very attractive mosaic flooring and into the main dining room which is on two elevated levels that sectionize the dining area. Immediately, you will be taken by the impressive views of The Bund across the bustling Huangpu river and beyond with the floor to ceiling windows and a stunning reflective gold ceiling which references the emperors palace and illuminates the entire dining area gracefully, so first impressions were pretty good.
We were privileged to be given one of the best front row tables and took our time to admire the scenery even on a Saturday night, that is suppose to be hard to get. It turned out to be not a busy weekend dining night out and throughout the entire evening, there was a couple having their anniversary celebration next to our table as well as a party of four was seated at the other end of the restaurant plus another couple arrived while main course was being served. Hence, there was a lot of ‘dead air’ with other diners speaking in hushed tones in such a quiet room with only the view to capture attention and without any music filling the air. The sights are unbeatable but the sounds seems rather “ambience-less”.
It wasn’t too long before the menu arrived for us to make some decisions about the evening. The menu description is “Classic French Elegance Reinvented by chef Olivier Pistre”, so it leans to French cuisine with a delicately crafted menu that focuses on recreating classical French dishes and the evening looked promising. We opted for the L’Elegance 5 courses menu which would give us a chance to experience the length and breadth of what chef Pistre could do to delight our palette for the evening.
<GRINOTAGES>
All the breads and butter are made in house and were so delicious that it was difficult not to enjoy and finish every bite of it, but room was required to enjoy the culinary journey of the 5 courses. The Canapes and Amouse bouche: Cold Tomato Soup with Vodka reminiscent the gazpacho style of cold soup was delicious and smooth in texture; Home-made Cured Salmon – a pleasant enough bite but the salmon flavour was not obvious; Black Olive Biscuit – a rather strange flavour and no obvious ingredient stood out; Carrot Marshmallow on a skewer – fun, but not terribly interesting as it should have been to whet the appetite. Overall, the presentations are here to impress but much more bold flavours were to be expected especially when it is among one of the first bites of the evening.
<Duck Foie Gras Terrine> – Quince & Cider/ Duck Leg Confit/ Cranberry
The dish was artfully presented in striking fashion with a block of country style terrine in the centre that looked very rustic and surrounded by small bites of quince, cherry, beetroot and Riesling Gelée. This was a classic French rendition packed with flavour and all the delicate ‘extras’ had their own voice and an intense flavour in a most gorgeous ‘square plating’. Less is more and every bite was quite enjoyable. It was nicely paired with the New Zealand 2016 Craighall vineyard Dry River Riesling for its yeasty influence, full and even texture and fruity flavours of ripe lime, peach and nectarine.
<Frog Leg>
Confit Garlic/Parsley & Shellfish sauce
Never question the French when they serve you frog legs on their menu and it is hard to go wrong especially from a well trained culinary team. This is another French classic with umami flavours in the shellfish stock. The dish was topped with garlic foam and the frogs legs were meaty and so tender that created a delicious and harmonious melange on the palate. Kudos to the chefs. It was pleasantly paired with the 2013 Fraser Gallop Estate Chardonnay from Margaret River for its crisp and strong passionfruit flavour that was more towards to the Sauvignon Blanc palette instead.
Never question the French when they serve you frog legs on their menu and it is hard to go wrong especially from a well trained culinary team. This is another French classic with umami flavours in the shellfish stock. The dish was topped with garlic foam and the frogs legs were meaty and so tender that created a delicious and harmonious melange on the palate. Kudos to the chefs. It was pleasantly paired with the 2013 Fraser Gallop Estate Chardonnay from Margaret River for its crisp and strong passionfruit flavour that was more towards to the Sauvignon Blanc palette instead.
<Marbled Goby>
Winter Bamboo Shoot/Guanciale/Caper “Ragout”/Gewurztraminer Wine Sauce
For the main course, we ordered the fish and chicken. This local river fish had a delightful, light meaty texture with delicate flavours and the sauce was also delicate but unctuous. The skin was perfectly pan seared for its smokey burnt crusty effect and sat on top of the winter bamboo shoot and topped with capers, it was quite enjoyable and blending the local ingredients well with this seasonal fish. Well done!
For the main course, we ordered the fish and chicken. This local river fish had a delightful, light meaty texture with delicate flavours and the sauce was also delicate but unctuous. The skin was perfectly pan seared for its smokey burnt crusty effect and sat on top of the winter bamboo shoot and topped with capers, it was quite enjoyable and blending the local ingredients well with this seasonal fish. Well done!
<Chicken Breast>
Marinated with Cajun Spices/Calamari/Pesto/White Bean “Ragout”/Chicken Jus
This was a six month old baby spring chicken and while a pleasant dish, the combination of ingredients was not very outstanding. Given how young the chicken was it just didn’t add up and should have been packed with more flavour from its bold presentation. The calamari had no added value, so not much point in including this as a critical ingredient in our view as it doesn’t really go with the chicken in any sense. Paired with a 2012 Trosso Tros Blanc for its rich fruity, ripe fruit long finish palate.
This was a six month old baby spring chicken and while a pleasant dish, the combination of ingredients was not very outstanding. Given how young the chicken was it just didn’t add up and should have been packed with more flavour from its bold presentation. The calamari had no added value, so not much point in including this as a critical ingredient in our view as it doesn’t really go with the chicken in any sense. Paired with a 2012 Trosso Tros Blanc for its rich fruity, ripe fruit long finish palate.
<Pinacolada>
Crispy Pineapple & Sorbet/Coconut Sago & Malibu/Liquorice
What may appeal to some may not appeal to others and on the surface a harmless presentation, is a little dated from our perspective for its banquet style glassware over dry ice, but other diners may love it. On the flavour front, a lovely combination of crunchy and cold textures to be expected, nothing really to shout out about.
<Hot Chocolate> – Crispy Rock & Flowing Lava/Vanilla Ice Cream
This was not the classic type of dessert with an attractive presentation, including a parmesan cheese wafer and the vanilla ice cream sat on top of the chocolate lava cake, but somehow it lacked the quintessential rich flavour and the flowing lava wasn’t as liquid as it should have been. Paired with 2019 Quita do Noval vintage Portuguese Port which is richly aromatic and well-structured, powerful fruit profile and precise acidity.
What may appeal to some may not appeal to others and on the surface a harmless presentation, is a little dated from our perspective for its banquet style glassware over dry ice, but other diners may love it. On the flavour front, a lovely combination of crunchy and cold textures to be expected, nothing really to shout out about.
<Hot Chocolate> – Crispy Rock & Flowing Lava/Vanilla Ice Cream
This was not the classic type of dessert with an attractive presentation, including a parmesan cheese wafer and the vanilla ice cream sat on top of the chocolate lava cake, but somehow it lacked the quintessential rich flavour and the flowing lava wasn’t as liquid as it should have been. Paired with 2019 Quita do Noval vintage Portuguese Port which is richly aromatic and well-structured, powerful fruit profile and precise acidity.
<Douceurs> “Petits Fours”
A fitting end to a pleasant meal, with mint chocolate, fresh raspberry millefeuille and chocolate syrup tart. All were delicious and beautifully executed.
A fitting end to a pleasant meal, with mint chocolate, fresh raspberry millefeuille and chocolate syrup tart. All were delicious and beautifully executed.
Overall the evening presented some beautiful moments, but also some ordinary ones – too much effort with very little value in return. There was some well-chosen plate ware that created some individuality for each course, but then they chose to use banquet cutlery, so what should have been a special dining experience segued into something not so special. We expressed our not so impressed observations on some of the food, but the service team member did not bother asking why, so rather pointless giving further feedback on the spot. We also noticed that when the plates were being cleared it was done with force rather than grace which sent some cutlery flying to the floor. When setting cutlery for the next course, nothing was aligned with every piece askew. Fingerprints were seen on our dessert plates and it seemed there was no attempt to elevate the experience with so many elements of the evening appearing perfunctory. The guest toilet had a big sign saying “No Smoking” but there was a heavy smell of cigarette smoke and a light above changing colour, so rather disappointing for such a fine dining establishment projection. The front of house team just doesn’t engage you as their guest, nor seem to love what they are doing, but rather just going through the motions. The dining experience could have been so much more memorable with a few more touches and greater attention to detail, although the culinary team clearly showed attention to detail in their gastronomy to maintain the legendary fine French wine and dine experience.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4/5
Food & Beverage: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Experience: 3.5/5
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4/5
Food & Beverage: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Experience: 3.5/5
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